The City of Toronto has partnered with Civic Tech Toronto and Code for Canada to develop a free, community-built web app called BikeSpace, designed to collect data from cyclists to help City staff, businesses and property managers improve bicycle parking facilities.
Using the BikeSpace app, cyclists can highlight areas where new bike parking is needed and report broken and full bike racks, as well as spots occupied by abandoned bikes. This simple web app is quick and easy to use, builds a public map of bicycle parking problems in Toronto and creates a data-driven picture to help bring about improvements. The web app is available at https://app.bikespace.ca/.
BikeSpace will not collect data on its users or create profiles of them. The app will only collect data that users provide about bike parking issues to inform those who install and improve bike parking.
“The BikeSpace app is a great example of the City, its civic community and tech talent coming together to support cyclists in our city by tackling shared challenges,” said Mayor John Tory. “This offers the cycling community an easy tool to share information with each other and the City to help improve our cycling infrastructure.”
“We are always looking for new and innovative tools to deliver improved services for cyclists,” said Councillor Jaye Robinson (Ward 25 Don Valley West), Chair of the City’s Public Works and Infrastructure Committee. “This app will provide information directly from the public to help the City make informed decisions about where bicycle parking facilities are needed.”
“I’m incredibly proud of this important collaboration and the positive change this app will produce,” said Jake Miller, BikeSpace Product Manager. “We built BikeSpace to allow road users to inform and directly impact the development of high-quality cycling infrastructure in Toronto.”
Businesses are encouraged to use the app to understand the gaps in bicycle parking and where improvements can be made on their property. For parking provided along streets, the City will review the data to inform current processes for new and improved bike parking.
All data collected through this project will remain available to the public.
For more information about the BikeSpace web app and the project team, visit http://www.bikespace.ca.
This news release is also available on the City’s website at http://ow.ly/mhdI30l6YW5.
photo from www.toronto.ca
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